Katerina Argyres, one of the owners of Folio Books, which closed in March after 10 years in business, is working with several former Folio booksellers to open another bookstore in Folio's old location in the Noe Valley neighborhood of San Francisco, Calif. The group, which includes Andrew McIntyre, Isaiah Scandrette, and Kit Fitzgerald, has created a GoFundMe campaign that has raised more than $20,000 toward its goal of $150,000.
"We are turning to you, the incredible literary community we have come to know and love, for help," Noe Valley Bookstore said on its GoFundMe page. "Please consider donating to our bookstore and spread the word that your local booksellers are returning home! Donations will be used for start-up costs including building maintenance, fixtures, inventory, and staffing."
The store also noted that "our most imminent costs are store maintenance and fixtures/bookshelves. Our building is old and in need of a LOT of TLC, from fixing leaks to deep cleaning to a fresh coat of paint. We will also use funds for initial inventory and staffing: two things we cannot open without."